To travel between solar systems, a spacecraft would need extremely sophisticated – if not impossible – technology.

"There is a silence in the night sky that has bothered me for as long as I can remember." That line, attributed to Richard Feynman, lands because it gets at a simple, stubborn feeling. The sky looks ...

In the following six books, each writer looks to space to skillfully explore what it means to live on Earth. Salvation and ...

Scientists are listening in on sperm whale conversations and studying Earth's strangest microbes to prepare humanity for first contact with extraterrestrial life.

This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more. This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more. The Milky Way galaxy has more than 400 billion stars in it. Over the last few decades, ...

In March 2026, SETI Institute researchers contributed to a wide range of conversations about our solar system and the search for life beyond Earth. From explaining unusual features on Mars and ...

Humanity has spent eons looking up at the stars and wondering whether we’re alone, or if there are others like us out there in the vast unknown. Our curiosity has only increased as we have become a ...

Just over 40 years ago, in his novel Contact, astronomer Carl Sagan imagined what it would be like to detect radio signals beamed from other intelligent lifeforms in the galaxy. In the story, these ...

The universe is vast and teeming with stars – but if intelligent life exists, it may not be able to visit Earth. By Kai James / The Conversation Published May 27, 2026 8:00 AM EDT This article was ...